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Everyone wants to know what the secret is to get an edge on the competition while job searching. The best place to turn to when it comes to this is to the people who interview and hire for jobs themselves. What are they looking for that makes you stand out? Why does one person get selected over another? How you can be the one that gets the job? To answer those questions, you need to answer the following questions about yourself:

Everyone wants to know what the secret is to get an edge on the competition while job searching. The best place to turn to when it comes to this is to the people who interview and hire for jobs themselves.

Can I put myself into the interviewer’s shoes?

Think about how they will react when first meeting you. You should do some research on the company culture before going in for your interview, and if you can find out who will be interviewing you do some research on them as well. Google them and learn about their professional track, as well as their personal style and personality. There is nothing wrong with knowing this information! Your interviewer will be doing their research on you and probably did before they ever even invited you to an interview.

If you see that the interviewer has particular interests through your research, or even looking around the room once you are there (such as a golf photo), then try to work in it somewhere if you share that interest. Once you have done this, you can bring out the parts of yourself that mirror the organization and the people in it, including your interviewer.

How do I look and SMELL?

Don’t have a wardrobe malfunction ruin your interview! When deciding what to wear, take this into consideration along with thinking about what might be distracting to your interviewer. Try to wear natural tones but not neutral tones and minimize rather than maximize the flashiness at this stage in the game. If your nails are hot pink, you could see how that might be distracting, right? DO NOT SMOKE after you put your interview outfit on.

Am I likable and able to perform this job?

There are some different points that your interviewer will look at to determine this. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

If you are on the quiet side, make sure to tell the interviewer how your strengths balance that. As an introvert, you most likely think more before you speak and are a great listener so use that to talk about why that would make you suitable for a leadership position. To many introverts, solitude fuels their thinking.

If you are an extrovert, then you may have trouble keeping quiet. If this is the case, try not to boast too much about yourself, rather ask some questions of the interviewer to show that you are interested in their accomplishments and the company’s accomplishments. You should definitely talk about your abilities without overdoing it. Just take your overexcitement down a notch.

The interviewer will be looking for a nice balance between likeability and the ability to perform the job, so do your research on the job description. Make sure you hit all the key points that the description is looking for while in the interview.

It is one thing to demonstrate your character to them while in the interview, but they only have an hour or less with you for you to really get your personality across, so be sure to express how you work well in a team and with co-workers.

Getting a job is like parking. You have to be in the right place at the right time. In How to Interview Like a Pro, author Mary Greenwood provides strategies and practical tips about how to prepare for job hunting and how to interview.

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Am I too upfront and honest?

Try to avoid topics that will not help you in the initial interview. For this interview, you will want to pay attention to this job and why you are a good fit. If the interviewer asks you questions about your previous job, tell them why you liked it, NOT why you hated it, and only talk about why you were let go if you have to. Don’t lie, yet be prepared with good valid and truthful reasons why you were let go.

Evaluating these questions will help you to win the interview and get the job if you take them seriously. The most important thing is to be yourself and not someone else in the interview. If you get the job based on using a false persona, how will you fit in once you are actually there every day?

In today's job market, how you perform in an interview can make or break your hiring possibilities. If you want to stand ahead. above the rest of the pack, 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions is the definitive guide you need